


Motive and Punishment

by i_will_fight_you



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Gen, MM Spoilers, first person randall pov, i wrote it in a disneyland hotel at midnight, this is from like a year ago, this isn't as edgy as the title may make you believe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 09:48:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12208791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_will_fight_you/pseuds/i_will_fight_you
Summary: No one knows why Randall did any of this, but he has a theory. Or rather, he can speculate. But these speculations bring up questions of what matters more.





	Motive and Punishment

I needed to investigate Akbadain.

Hersh, Angela, Henry… All of them kept telling me it was a bad idea, but I _needed_ to do this. I (of course) regret it now, but at the time it seemed really necessary. Bloody hell, I don't even know _why_.

I don't want to fall.

It's the Mask. There's something up with it. As soon as I got it, I just _knew_ it was a map. No explanation or anything. The knowledge just sort of… appeared.

After I figured out where it was leading me to -- and I was certain by that point that the map was meant for _me_ \-- I absolutely had to go. Part of me knew it was impossible alone, so I brought Hersh. And look, it requires two people!

I don't want to die.

The further into the ruins we went, the more that seemed to click into place. It _had_ to be meant for me, because the mummy robot golems ignore me, but not Hersh. It's full of _puzzles_ for God's sake, which I've loved as long as I can remember. And simply the fact that I found the Mask in the first place indicates all this being for me.

The only thing missing was the Mask of Order. And here, as I'm being held above the abyss with only Hershel's hand keeping me from there, I question conclusions.

Should I die?

Maybe it was him. Maybe I was just the middleman, and even the _Azran_ prefer him to me. Maybe that's why the mummy golems attacked him, as a test. Maybe…

My fingers brush the emblem on the forehead of the mask, and it rotates with a quiet click. There seems to be a gap growing beneath my thumb. _When they are united…_

Maybe I've had both masks all along. And maybe Hersh needs the Mask of Order. Conveniently, I have it right here.

Should I abandon the Legacy, or abandon my life?

I try to uncurl my fingers. Something, an emotion, burns deep in my chest. I was not meant to drop the Mask.

I reach up to hand Hersh the masks. The Legacy is more valuable than a single life. “Hershel! Take the Mask. It's yours. Solve the last puz-”

Hershel didn't reach for it, but his grimy, sweaty hand can't hold onto mine. His grip slips, and I hear him scream my name. It echoes around my, enveloping me.

I'm going to die.

The Legacy is dying with me.

The world goes cold.

**Author's Note:**

> anyway i'm still going to work on the au fic but i might be uploading a different au but don't worry about that haha


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